


Time of Death

by Damien_Blake_Potter



Series: Damien's Time Travel Fics [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Assassin Harry Potter, BAMF Harry Potter, BAMF Regulus Black, Basically Harry Commits Suicide And Is Sent Back In Time, Bisexual Harry Potter, Dark Harry Potter, Death Eaters, Death Saves Harry, Depressed Harry Potter, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, First War with Voldemort, Fluff and Smut, Gay Regulus Black, Good Regulus Black, Harry Doesn't Trust Goblins, Harry Potter Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Harry is Lord Peverell, Hogwarts, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Major Character Undeath, Master of Death Harry Potter, Morally Grey Harry Potter, Morally Grey Regulus Black, Mpreg Harry, Multi, Not As Cliché As You Probably Think It Is, Oh The Irony Of That Tag, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Professor Harry Potter, Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Regulus Black Lives, Seer Harry Potter, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Tags May Change, Temporary Character Death, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Time Travel, Wizengamot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21664186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damien_Blake_Potter/pseuds/Damien_Blake_Potter
Summary: Harry gaped at the dark figure sitting before him."... Are you serious?""No Master, I'm Death"Harry snorted in amusement despite himself, shaking his head in disbelief."But... Isn't time traveling really dangerous? What if I accidentally prevent my own birth or something?""Master, I can ensure you a successful trip into the past, and once you time travel, the timeline will split into two from the moment you land in the past, making it impossible for you to return to the present. You'll have to make a new life for yourself in the new timeline. And even if you prevent your birth, you will not cease to exist since you will be from a different timeline. I hope that that isn't a problem for you...?"Harry gave Death a deadpan look. "I killed myself Death. My old life is over, and I don't want it back. A new start would be... Amazing."Death inclined it's head, "Of course, Master."
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Regulus Black/Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Damien's Time Travel Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556056
Comments: 210
Kudos: 1987
Collections: Harry Potter Fanfiction Favorites, i solemnly swear i up to no good





	1. The Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I've been wanting to write a time travel fic like this one for awhile now, it's about time I got to writing it!
> 
> This first chapter is rather short as it is just the prologue, so you can look forward to longer chapters after this one.
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you then be careful if you still choose to read this story. 
> 
> I beta my own work, so if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know so that I can fix them!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this story and this first chapter!

* * *

Harry slowly regained consciousness, groaning as he felt himself laying on a cold and hard floor. He shifted slightly in discomfort and slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the brightness that filled the room he was in; both the walls and the floor were pure white. He looked down at himself, not wanting to force his weak body to stand up just yet, and proceeded to flush slightly as he realised he was completely naked. Well, at least he was alone.

"I'm glad to see that you're finally awake, Master."

... Or maybe not.

Harry quickly reached down to cover himself, awkwardly glancing up at the black, shadowy figure that had suddenly materialized in front of him. For a second, Harry thought he was staring at a dementor, but he quickly shook that thought away; dementors didn't talk.

"Um... Who are you? And where am I?" Harry remembered what he did before he had blacked out, "Am I dead?"

"Well, to answer your first question, I am Death. Also known as the Grim Reaper, or whatever the mortals have taken to calling me these days. You are currently in the place between life and death. So no, technically you are not dead just yet, Master."

Harry's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, "Why do you keep calling me 'Master'?"

Death appeared to tilt it's head to the side, it was hard to tell with the hood that the tall being was wearing. Harry couldn't even see Death's face, as the hood was casting dark shadows over it.

"You became the master of all three of my Hallows during your lifetime, that makes you Master of Death. It is only proper that I call you by your title."

Harry frowned, finally sitting up now that he was sure he would be able to hold up his own weight without collapsing, "But I dropped the Resurrection Stone in the Forbidden Forest, and I've never even held the Elder Wand, so how could I have become their master?"

"You became their master because even though you dropped the Stone, you were still the last person to use it, thus it's allegiance was with you at the moment of your mortal body's death. And you became the master of the Elder Wand when you disarmed Draco Malfoy at Malfoy Manor, as the boy himself had become it's master when he had disarmed Albus Dumbledore in the Astronomy Tower the night he was killed."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, but then a look of confusion came over his face, "I thought you said I wasn't dead?"

Death sighed, "See, this is where it gets complicated Master." Death looked around the empty room, then waved a skeletal hand and conjured two comfy looking chairs for itself and Harry, "Here — have a seat; I doubt the ground is a very comfortable place to sit."

Harry glanced down at his naked body and flushed again, "Um... Death, could I have some clothes or something...?"

"Oh, right." Death said, sounding like it had just remembered that Harry was naked. It snapped it's bony fingers and a dark red robe appeared on Harry.

Harry muttered his thanks and slowly stood up and moved to settle himself into one of the chairs as Death sat in the one opposite. Harry sighed in relief as he settled down, enjoying the change from the floor.

"Okay. Now," Death started; Harry looked up to pay attention, "As I have already informed you, you are currently in between life and death, or more accurately, your soul is. Your... _actions_ however, proved fatal for your mortal body. So while you are _technically_ deceased, I am holding your soul back from entering the afterlife." 

"But why aren't you letting me go?" Harry asked, a bit upset, "The whole reason why I committed was so that I could join my friends and family; why are you stopping me from joining them?"

"Because Master, I wanted to explain to you what options you currently have. Being my master is more than just a fancy title — you do have benefits because of it."

"Okay... So what are my... _options_ then?" Harry asked reluctantly, sure that he would still choose to join his loved ones in the afterlife.

"Well, Option One is that you go on to the 'Next Great Adventure'." Death quoted Albus Dumbledore fondly, "Option Two is that I restore your mortal body and you return to the moment of your death and continue on your life from that point — and yes I realise that you ended your life for a reason, but it's still an option." Death stopped Harry before he could interrupt. "Option Three is that I restore your mortal body, but instead of going back to the moment of your death, I'll send you back in time to the height of the First Wizarding War against the Dark Lord Voldemort. I would personally recommend that you take Option Three Master — I truly believe that you could change the future for the better, and save the lives of your loved ones while you're at it." Death finished sincerely.

Harry gaped at the dark figure sitting before him.

"... Are you serious?"

"No Master, I'm Death"

Harry snorted in amusement despite himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

"But... Isn't time traveling really dangerous? What if I accidentally prevent my own birth or something?"

"Master, I can ensure you a successful trip into the past, and once you time travel, the timeline will split into two from the moment you land in the past, making it impossible for you to return to the present. You'll have to make a new life for yourself in the new timeline. And even if you prevent your birth, _you_ will not cease to exist since you will be from a different timeline. I hope that that isn't a problem for you...?"

Harry gave Death a deadpan look. "I _killed myself_ Death. My old life is over, and I don't want it back. A new start would be... _Amazing."_

Death inclined it's head, "Of course, Master."

"What will happen to my timeline if I travel to the past?" Harry asked curiously after a moment of silence.

"I was thinking about just putting an end to that timeline; with the way things are going, the muggles will end up destroying all life on Earth anyway with their atomic weapons. I can transfer all the souls from that timeline into the new one, so you can be reassured that the people you will meet in the new timeline are still the same people that you know, they'll just have different life experiences once you start changing things." 

Harry nodded in acceptance. "Okay, I've decided." He smiled at Death, "I'll go to the past. It's too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Death clapped it's hands together happily, "Excellent! You won't regret this Master."

"Do you absolutely have to call me Master?"

"Yes Master."

"... Alright then. Let's do this!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> I have the next chapter outlined, so the next chapter should be out within 2 weeks, hopefully. 
> 
> I will try to avoid using too many clichés, but even with the ones I will use, I will try my best to make this story unique.
> 
> Leave a kodos if you are enjoying this so far, and leave a comment! Constructive criticism is welcome!


	2. The Past (1978)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry is successfully sent into the past by Death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but here you go, let me know what you guys think.
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you then be careful if you still choose to read this story. 
> 
> I beta my own work, so if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know so that I can fix them!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Harry slowly came to awareness, once more finding himself laying on the ground. Thankfully, he could feel that he was fully clothed this time. He sat up, rubbing his aching chest — which was probably hurting due to his heart abruptly starting again — and cautiously took in his surroundings.

He was where Death had told him he should end up: in a clearing in the middle of a forest — the Forest of Dean, according to Death. Harry had only been to this forest once before, back when he, Ron, and Hermione had gone off to hunt down Voldemort's horcruxes. 

Harry reached into his robe pocket for his Holly wand and quickly cast, " _tempus."_

_'9:00am, Monday, July 31st, 1978'_

Harry sighed in relief. He had arrived to the right date as well. He had been extremely worried he'd end up in the 1700's or something. Harry stood up and concentrated, then he turned on the spot and disapparated.

* * *

Harry apparated into the alley between the Leaky Cauldron and the brick wall that leads to Diagon Alley, then he turned around and entered the pub. 

He ignored the eyes that turned to look at him curiously and walked over to the bar, where Tom the barman was cleaning the counter. 

"Excuse me?" Harry continued once Tom had looked up, "I'd like to rent a single room for one day, please."

"Certainly, sir." Tom nodded and pulled out a small leather journal from under the bar, "Just fill this out if you please, and the price for one day is 3 Galleons."

Harry handed over the 3 Galleons, then quickly filled out the required information:

* * *

> **The Leaky Cauldron – Sign In Sheet**
> 
> **Full Name** — Harrison Genesis Peverell.
> 
> **Date** — Mon. July 31st, 1978.
> 
> **How Many People** — One. 
> 
> **How Many Rooms** — One. 
> 
> **What Type of Room(s)** — Single. 
> 
> **Length of Stay** — One Day. 
> 
> **Sign In Time** — 9:10am.
> 
> **Sign Out Time** — 5:00pm.

* * *

Harry slid the journal back over to Tom and watched as the man's eyes widened slightly as he read over the information. He glanced up at Harry briefly before he seemed to shake himself and sent a smile towards his paying costumer.

"Well, _Mr. Peverell_ , everything seems to be in order. Let me just go get your room key." The man turned around and walked through a door to what Harry presumed was the bar's storage room, and evidently where Tom kept his room keys.

Harry thought Tom's reaction towards his new last name was probably about as calm as he could hope for, especially since it is genuinely well known throughout the British Wizarding Community that the Peverell Family had gone extinct in the male line centuries ago. Truthfully, if not for Death's intervention, then the line _would_ be extinct, but Death had implanted memories into the minds of many witches and wizards around the globe, making it seem as if the family had just secretly traveled around the world, rather than go extinct.

Harry and Death had talked for what seemed like hours over what Harry's backstory would be, because they didn't want anyone to find any holes in it that would cause them to become suspicious and distrusting of Harry. Once all of the final details had been thoroughly discussed, Death had worked to place proof of the Peverell Family's continued existence into the world, along with forging official documents to make things easier on Harry once he was in the past. 

That was the main reason why Harry wanted to rent a room here for a few hours, he wanted to go over all of the documents to see what exactly Death had prepared for him. Afterall, Death didn't want to hand Harry everything he needed on a silver platter. It wanted Harry to actually _earn_ most of his living in this new timeline. It had just given him enough to start with. Which was why it had only given Harry ten galleons to bring into this time — it wanted Harry to get a job and not just focus completely on destroying Voldemort — and as he only had seven galleons left now, he had enough encentive to actually go through with applying for the job that he and Death had finally agreed upon — although on Harry's side it was a rather reluctant agreement.

Harry looked up as Tom returned with his room key.

"Here you are, Mr. Peverell. Room 3B. If you need anything, just ring the bell next to your door and a house elf will come to assist you." Tom told him as he handed over the key. 

Harry nodded his thanks to the man and then went upstairs to find his room. The sooner he analyzed Death's documents the sooner he could start being productive.

* * *

Harry sat down on his bed and pulled his shrunken documents out of his robe pocket; he tapped them with his wand and returned them to their normal size. Death had told Harry that while many of the documents were full of false information in order to give Harry a believable and provable backstory in this timeline, it had put as much truth as it could into his story. Harry was grateful for that, as it would make it easier for him to remember his life information if it was something he had actually experienced.

Harry picked up the first document, which turned out to be two birth certificates.

* * *

** CERTIFICATE OF BIRTH **

**This certifies that _Harrison Genesis Peverell_ was born a _male pureblood wizard_ on** **_July 31st, 1958_ at _2:37am,_ weighing _6lb 5oz_ and being _48cm_ long, at _Ravendale Cottage in The Wizarding Village of Rowena's Haven._**

* * *

**CERTIFIED COPY OF AN ENTRY**

**———**

**Child's Full Legal Name — _Harrison Genesis Peverell._**

**Child's Sex — _Male._**

**Child's Blood Status — _Pureblood Wizard._**

**Child's Weight at Birth — _6lb 5oz._**

**Child's Length at Birth — _48cm._**

**Child's Date of Birth — _July 31st, 1958, 2:37am._**

**Child's Place of Birth — _Ravendale Cottage in The Wizarding Village of Rowena's Haven._**

**———**

**Father's Full Legal Name — _Andrew Hagan Peverell._**

**Father's Blood Status — _Pureblood Wizard._**

**Father's Place of Birth — _The City of_ _Manchester in England, United Kingdom._**

**Father's Occupation — _Freelance Magical Researcher._**

**———**

**Mother's Full Legal Name — _Audrey Evangeline Peverell._**

**Mother's Maiden Name — _Audrey Evangeline Deroy._**

**Mother's Blood Status — _Pureblood Witch._**

**Mother's Place of Birth — _The City of Toulouse, France._**

**Mother's Occupation — _Charms Mistress, Private Charms Tutor._**

**———**

* * *

Harry raised his eyebrow at his new place of birth. Rowena's Haven, according to Hermione, and according to Hogwarts: A History, was the birthplace of Rowena Ravenclaw. 

_'Interesting...'_ Harry thought. _'You're not very subtle, are you Death?'_

Harry also couldn't help wondering why Death had made him a pureblood, since sticking to the truth and keeping him a half-blood wouldn't have made much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but he guessed that Death probably had it's reasons. Harry shrugged to himself and moved on to the next document, which held proof of his British citizenship.

_'I wonder where I would be sent to if I didn't have this,'_ Harry thought amusedly, _'since I am not a citizen of any other country. It would be kind of funny if the Ministry of Magic found out that I time traveled and tried to send me back to the future.'_ Harry snorted to himself. _'Yeah, like they wouldn't just lock me up in Azkaban for illegally time-traveling.'_

Harry put his citizenship document aside and picked up the next one, which was a _very_ long and _very_ detailed Peverell family tree. But he only had eyes for the most important names on the tree.

* * *

** The Peverell Family Tree **

* * *

**———**

**Antioch Peverell**

**|**

****_**Many Generations** _

**|**

**Owen Peverell — Elizabeth Peverell née Ravenclaw**

**|**

_**Many Generations** _

**|**

**Andrew Peverell — Audrey Peverell née Deroy**

**|**

**Harrison Genesis Peverell**

**———**

* * *

**———**

**Cadmus Peverell**

**|**

_**Many Generations** _

**|**

**Vivian Peverell — Everard Slytherin**

**|**

_**Many Generations** _

**|**

**Marvolo Gaunt**

**|**

**Merope Gaunt — Tom Riddle Sr.**

**|**

**Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr.**

**———**

* * *

**———**

**Ignotus Peverell**

**|**

_**Many Generations** _

**|**

**William Peverell — Morgan Peverell née Gryffindor**

**|**

_**Many Generations** _

**|**

**Fleamont Potter — Euphemia Potter**

**|**

**James Charles Potter — Lily Potter née Evans**

**———**

* * *

Harry stared at Voldemort's real name in shocked realisation; he had never really connected the dots before that he and Voldemort were related, albeit very distantly. Even in his last life, he had been a very, _very_ distant cousin; just like he was now, only he was now descendant from the oldest Peverell brother, instead of the youngest.

Harry was also shocked to see that the Potter's were descendants of Godric Gryffindor. He hadn't known about that in his last life; he wondered if the current members of the Potter family were aware of this, although he would bet his last seven galleons that they weren't, given that nobody had told Harry about it back when he was a Potter. If they had known, surely Sirius or Remus, or even Dumbledore, would have told him at some point?

Well, if they didn't know, Harry would ensure they found out. Not only was it a fascinating part of their family's history, but the extra political power they could gain with the knowledge would only help in the fight against Voldemort and his supporters.

He wasn't shocked about being a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw, Death had already told him about how a member of the Ravenclaw family had married a descendant of Antioch Peverell; and since Death had reconstructed Harry's body to be made from DNA that matched those descendant from Antioch Peverell, he was now a blood heir of not only the Peverell Family, but of the Ravenclaw family as well.

Harry was well aware that all of the Hogwarts Founder's had multiple living heirs at this point in time, but he only knew of one heir of Ravenclaw (himself), one heir of Slytherin (Tom Riddle Jr.), and 2 heirs of Gryffindor (James Potter and his father); he didn't know any heirs of Hufflepuff. Death had refused to tell him who the other heirs were. It had insisted that Harry had to do the research if he wanted to find out. 

Harry put the family tree aside and picked up yet another document. This one turned out to be education transcripts.

* * *

**OFFICIAL EDUCATION TRANSCRIPTS**

**Student’s Full Name — _Harrison Genesis Peverell._**

**Student’s Birthdate — _July 31st, 1958._**

**Type of Education (Public/Private/Etc.) — _Homeschooled by Private Tutors._**

**Name of Educational Foundation — _R.O.W.E.N.A.S. – Raven’s Omniscient Wizarding Education Nurturing All Students._**

* * *

Harry snorted at the name of the educational foundation. _'Yep, Death has no sense of subtlety at all.'_ He thought amused. He continued reading the transcripts. 

* * *

**Full List of Student's Private Tutors**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) — _Travis Golding._**

**Transfiguration — _Samuel Reeds._**

**Charms — _Audrey Peverell._**

**Potions — _Brian Kettle._**

**Herbology — _Mary Marchbanks._**

**History of Magic (HoM) — _Edward Halls._**

**Astronomy — _Emily Curtis._**

**Muggle Studies — _Liam Everdeen._**

**Divination — _Freya Rose._**

**Care of Magical Creatures (CoMC) — _Basil Alkins._**

**The Study of Ancient Runes — _Hazel Lenin._**

**Arithmancy — _Patrick Delacor._**

* * *

**Grading Key:**

**———**

**Passing Grades —**

**(O) — Outstanding.**

**(E) — Exceeds Expectations.**

**(A) — Acceptable.**

**———**

**Failing Grades —**

**(P) — Poor.**

**(D) — Dreadful.**

**(T) — Troll.**

**———**

* * *

**Harrison Peverell’s O.W.L. Results —**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) — (O) Outstanding.**

**Transfiguration — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**Charms — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**Potions — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**Herbology — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**History of Magic — (O) Outstanding.**

**Astronomy — (A) Acceptable.**

**Muggle Studies — (O) Outstanding.**

**Divination — (O) Outstanding.**

**Care of Magical Creatures — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**The Study of Ancient Runes — (O) Outstanding.**

**Arithmancy — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

* * *

**Harrison Peverell’s N.E.W.T. Results —**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) — (O) Outstanding.**

**Transfiguration — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**Charms — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**Potions — (E) Exceeds Expectati** **ons.**

**History of Magic — (O) Outstanding.**

**Muggle Studies — (O) Outstanding.**

**Divination — (O) Outstanding.**

**Care of Magical Creatures — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

**The Study of Ancient Runes — (O) Outstanding.**

**Arithmancy — (E) Exceeds Expectations.**

* * *

**Harrison Peverell's Masteries —**

**Double Mastery of Divination and** **Muggle Studies — Completed at Age 17.**

 **Single Mastery of History of Magic — Completed at Age 19.** ****

* * *

Harry frowned in confusion. That couldn't be right... He hadn't done that well on his O.W.L.S. in his last life — and he didn't even _take_ his N.E.W.T.S. or apply for any Masteries, never mind _completing three of them._

"What the hell, Death?" Harry muttered to himself, "What happened to sticking to the truth?"

**_"Well, Master, maybe I wouldn't have had to lie about your qualifications if you had actually bothered to study when your friend Hermione had told you to."_ **

Harry did not shriek. He did _not._

"DEATH!" Harry totally shrieked, "What the fuck! Where are you!?" Harry asked as he looked around his room frantically.

_**"You can stop freaking out Master, I'm just in your head. And you can quit yelling too — others may not be able to see or hear me, but they can certainly hear**_ **you. _"_**

"Oh yeah, cause hearing voices that no one else can hear is very reassuring." Harry said sarcastically, putting a hand over his chest and taking deep breaths to calm his racing heartbeat. "What are you doing in my head anyway? Don't you have souls to look after?"

_**"Yes, I do. But you are my Master, so you are my priority. Besides, you asked me a question, did you not?"**_

"Yes I did, but I didn't expect you to actually fucking answer!" Harry said exasperated.

_**"Then why did you ask, if you didn't expect an answer?"**_

"Because I — well... Shut up!" Harry pouted dramatically as he heard Death chuckling. "Why didn't you tell me that we could communicate like this anyway? I thought I'd have to die in order to see or speak to you."

_**"I thought you'd have figured out that you being the Master to all my Hallows forged a sort of bond between us. Besides that, you seem to have forgotten that I showed myself to the Peverell brothers many years ago, and they were very much alive."**_

"Oh..." Harry said, feeling rather stupid. "That makes sense, I suppose."

_**"Indeed."**_ Death said, sounding distinctly amused. _**"Now I do believe we've gone rather off track here; you were confused about your transcripts, Master?"**_

Harry shook himself and glanced back down at the document in his lap, "Yes — Why did you falsify my grades? I didn't do this well in school... I failed my Divination and History of Magic O.W.L.S. and I didn't even _take_ Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, or Muggle Studies... Or my N.E.W.T.S. for that matter. And I think I'd remember achieving _three_ Masteries."

_**"Well, you didn't actually think you'd get a job at one of the best schools of magical education in the world without any qualifications did you? Really Master, they don't let just**_ **anyone _become a Hogwarts professor."_**

"Five words Death: _Defense Against the Dark Arts._ " Harry deadpanned. "And if you need more words then that, here's two more: _Sybill Trelawny._ " 

Death sighed, _**"Yes, well, DADA has always been a special case since no professor has been able to hold the post for more than a year since Riddle put that childish curse on the position. And you know perfectly well that Sybill Trelawny is a real seer... She's just not the kind of seer that should be teaching the Art of Divination. She makes prophecies but doesn't remember them — that kind of seer can only**_ **dr** **eam** _ **of actually teaching the art to those without seer blood. But after she made that prophecy about the downfall of Riddle, Dumbledore needed to keep her somewhere safe... Somewhere Riddle would be unable to venture to pull the full prophecy from her mind."**_

Harry couldn't argue with that. "But why didn't you just change the grades for the position I'm gonna apply for? And why add in classes that I've never even taken before?"

_**"Well, for one thing Master, you will be better respected if you are properly educated and have high grades to prove your intelligence. And it will increase your future job opportunities if you ever decide that you want to do something else besides teach at Hogwarts."**_

"But Death," Harry started, sounding like he was talking to a child, "I didn't _earn_ those grades. Won't it eventually come to light that I don't actually have the knowledge required to have legitimately gotten such good marks?"

_**"No it won't, because when the time comes, you**_ **wil** **l** _ **have that knowledge."**_

"How?"

Harry could practically _feel_ Death's smirk, _**"You will work for it just like everyone else has to — by studying."**_

"... You can't be serious."

_**"We've already been over this Master, I'm Death, not Sirius."**_

"Stop joking around!" Harry growled out, quickly suppressing the amusement that wanted to bubble up, "You can't seriously expect me to study that much! Do you know how much time it would take for me to learn enough to have plausibly gotten those grades and Masteries? It'd take years! I don't have time for all of that, I need to focus on taking down Voldemort before I can do things for myself!"

_**"No, Master."**_ Death said firmly, **_"You need to start worrying about yourself for a change — the war doesn't hit its peak until about a year from now. You can take that time to study, and incase you've forgotten, the things you learn will only increase your chances of ending this war sooner. The more you know, the better prepared you will be. Besides, I'm going to help you."_** Death sounded smug. 

Harry was wary, "Help me how?"

_**"I'm going to share some of my infinite knowledge with you through our bond. Not**_ **too much _mind you, I still expect you to learn most of this stuff yourself."_**

"What exactly are you going to share with me?" Harry asked curiously.

_**"You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out, Master. I'll do the knowledge transfer while you're sleeping, otherwise you'd get a rather severe migraine I'm afraid."**_

Harry pouted, "Awe come on Death, can't you at least _tell_ me what you're gonna transfer?"

_**"No can do, Master."**_ Death was _definitely_ smirking now. _**"You'll just have to be patient."**_

Harry sighed, "Fine... I'm still not happy about having to learn so much in such a short time period though."

_**"Understood Master. But don't worry, it's not going to be as hard as you think it will be. Our bond should make it easier for you."**_

Harry was confused, "How do you mean?"

_**"Our bond automatically transferred some of my abilities to you. Nothing too life altering, just natural occlumancy shields, a greatly improved memory, and a slight ability to feel the emotions of those around you, as well as tell when people are lying to you. Those will become greatly useful once you start working with Albus Dumbledore and the politics within the Ministry."**_

Harry was stunned. "Well... Okay then, that actually sounds _extremely_ helpful, just... Wow."

He shook off the shock after a few moments and looked down at the remaining documents, finding that they consisted of his full medical records and his apparation licence.

"Are my medical records accurate or did you change them too?" 

_**"No Master, they are accurate.**_ **Completely** ** _accurate. I don't want you hiding anything from healers, especially not your history with depression and PTSD."_**

Harry rolled his eyes, "If you are worried that I'll kill myself again, don't. I'm not going to waste my second chance like that."

_**"We can't be too careful Master. I've seen many mortals succumb to their mental illnesses; it is a very difficult battle to fight everyday, and I just want to keep you safe. I want you to be able to ask for help when you need it."**_

Harry's annoyance melted away, "I'm okay Death, really. But thank you for caring so much. It means a lot to me."

_**"Of course Master. I'll believe you for now, but please remember that it is okay to not be okay. You are only human after all."**_

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

_**"Good. Now, I do believe you have a job to apply for?"**_

Harry groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Please let me know how I did, cause I honestly can't judge how well I wrote this. If you have any advice on how I can improve my writing, I'm all ears! Constructive criticism is welcome!


	3. Goblins & Gargoyles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry visits Gringotts and arrives at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his job interview.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this story! 
> 
> A few of you asked about which post Harry was going to take at Hogwarts, and I didn't tell you cause I didn't want to spoil anything, but some of you gave me ideas for other Fics I could write and gave me ideas that I could incorporate into this story as well, so thank you for that. I already have quite a few plot points planned out that I refuse to change, so anything that can't go into this story may go into a future story. 
> 
> Anyway, the teaching position that Harry is going to take is revealed in this chapter so I hope you guys are happy with it! 
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you then be careful if you still choose to read this story. 
> 
> I beta my own work, so if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know so that I can fix them!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Before Harry could go to Hogwarts, he first had to head over to Gringotts to reopen the Peverell Family vault. He honestly wished he could have avoided going anywhere near the goblins, but Gringotts was the only wizarding bank, and he needed a safe place to keep his money once he started getting a weekly salary from working at Hogwarts.

As Harry walked into the white bank, he glanced around to see how many people were in the building, and was glad to see that there was only a couple people doing business at the bank, he didn't want the news of a ancient pureblood family resurfacing to spread just yet. 

Harry went to stand in front of a goblin that was stationed a good distance away from where the other witches and wizards were standing. The goblin didn't look up from where it was writing who-knows-what on a piece of parchment, but Harry wasn't deterred.

Harry cleared his throat pointedly, and resisted the urge to smirk when the goblin let out a sigh of annoyance, looking up at him with a sneer.

"What business do you have with Gringotts, wizard?" The goblin asked, sounding impatient.

"I wish to reopen my family's vault." Harry answered with forced politeness. Goblins really were unpleasant to be around and converse with.

"What surname is the vault under?" The goblin asked as he pulled a thick book from somewhere behind his podium, placing it onto his work station and flipping it open.

"Peverell." Harry stated clearly.

The goblin paused from where he had been flipping through the book, looking up to peer at Harry suspiciously.

" _Peverell._ " The goblin repeated dubiously, obviously not believing that the wizard in front of him was from the thought-to-be extinct family line.

Harry nodded even though it hadn't been a question. "Yes, Peverell. My full name is Lord Harrison Peverell, and I'd like to get on with business now, Steelblade." Harry said pointedly after glancing at the name plate on the goblin's podium. He couldn't wait to get out of the bank. 

Steelblade grinned nastily, "Well, Lord _Peverell,_ " He said mockingly, "I'm afraid you'll have to consent to a blood test to prove your identity if you wish to gain access to the Peverell Family vault. And I will warn you, we here at Gringotts do not take attempted thievery lightly."

Harry stared at Steelblade unflinchingly, "I am not here to steal, I only come for what is rightfully mine. I am perfectly willing to do the blood test if it will prove my identity to you."

Steelblade reached under his podium once more to full out a dagger and a piece of parchment. "Then by all means, prick your finger with the blade and let three drops of blood fall onto the parchment." He looked confident that Harry would fail this test, and Harry really wished he could wipe the smirk off the creatures face. 

Harry took the dagger and made a small cut on the tip of his index finger, not even wincing at the slight sting. He put his hand over the parchment and used his thumb and middle finger to squeeze out three drops of blood, then he pulled his hand back and waited for the results. 

The parchment seemingly soaked up the blood, and within seconds writing started to appear. Harry and Steelblade both leaned over to read the results.

* * *

** Blood Identification Test Results **

**Name — Harrison Genesis Peverell.**

**Mother — Audrey Evangeline Peverell – _Deceased._**

**Father — Andrew Hagan Peverell – _Deceased._**

**Blood-Status — Pureblood.**

* * *

Harry looked up at Steelblade, ginning smugly. The goblin looked like he had just swallowed a particularly sour lemon. Harry guessed that he had been hoping for an opportunity to feed Harry to the Gringotts security dragon.

"Very well then, Lord Peverell." Steelblade said unhappily, putting away the dagger and parchment. He continued flipping through the book in front of him, stopping when he finally landed on the page with _'PEVERELL'_ written clearly along the top. He scanned the information on the page before looking back up at Harry. "You are aware that the Peverell vault was emptied out centuries ago by the head of the family at the time and is currently empty, yes?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, I know."

Steelblade gave a small nod of acknowledgement and glanced back down at the book. "The Peverell vault is currently under the management of the goblin Ragnarok, and a key is required for vault entry. Are you in possession of said key?"

"No, I am not. Could a new key be made?"

Steelblade sneered, "Yes, but it's creation will take time. Account manager Ragnarok will deliver it to you via owl within forty eight hours." Steelblade pulled out a new blank piece of parchment and a quill. "What address shall he send it to?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Steelblade glanced up at Harry, but didn't question him as he quickly wrote down the address and then put the parchment off to the side to deliver to Ragnarok later. 

"The Peverell Family vault will be officially reopened once the new vault key has been registered. Access to the vault will be available to you the next time you come to Gringotts, provided you have the key. Now," Steelblade finished, "will that conclude your business here today, Lord Peverell?"

"Yes, thank you for your time, Steelblade." Harry said politely. He promptly turned around and left the bank as fast as he could without coming across as rude. 

Once Harry was finally stood at the foot of the steps leading up to the bank, he let out a sigh of relief. Goblins were one magical race that he just couldn't help but dislike after Griphook's betrayal in the Lestrange vault during the trio's horcrux hunt. However, he knew that the best way to deal with them was with patience, politeness, and straightforwardness. The less you antagonized them and the faster you got straight to the point, the less time you had to spend in their presence.

With his business at Gringotts completed, Harry could no longer put off his trip to Hogwarts, and the thought filled him with trepidation. It's not like he wasn't looking forward to seeing the school as it was before the damage brought on by the Battle of Hogwarts, in fact, he was quite excited to see the magnificent castle once more, he just wasn't sure how he'd handle seeing Albus Dumbledore, alive and whole again. 

_**"You'll be fine Master."**_ Death spoke up, making Harry jump before he rolled his eyes at his reaction, **_"Your Occlumancy shields are strong. As long as you don't outwardly react, he'll never guess that something's amiss."_**

 _'He_ better _not,'_ Harry thought, _'Or else I'm screwed.'_

* * *

Harry stood in front of the huge gates that blocked the path to the castle, gazing up at the place he had once called home. There was no fire, or rubble, or broken down walls... The school was back to its former glory. Harry could almost convince himself he was just dreaming if he wasn't currently aware of Death's presence in the back of his mind. 

**_"Really Master,"_** Death started amusedly, _**"**_ ** _you'd think you didn't appreciate my company."_**

Harry snorted, "Oh, I appreciate your company all right... I'm just not sure how I feel about you constantly being in my mind."

_**"I'm not going to be**_ **constantly _in your mind... Just most of the time. Mainly when I feel you may need my assistance. For instance, I'll gladly give you privacy if you decide to take someone to bed with you."_**

Harry blushed at the implications of Death's statement. "That's not going to happen Death. At least, not anytime soon. I don't want to risk someone's life by getting too close to them while this war is still going on. You know I'll almost definitely be a main target once I really start shaking things up."

_**"Yes well, you never know what could happen."**_

" _Shouldn't_ I know what's going to happen though, considering the gift you and Fate gave me?"

_**"Even with your gift, you are not omniscient Master."**_

"Considering the name you gave the educational foundation I am meant to have attended, I would have thought otherwise."

_**"Well you would have thought wrong. Fate is the only being in the universe that is omniscient. None of her children are given that much power. Not even you, Master... Even if you are her favorite."**_

Harry scoffed, "Here all this time I thought Fate had something against me, and it turns out that I'm her favorite? Are you sure about that Death?"

_**"Very sure Master. I very much doubt my sister would lie to me about something like that."**_

Harry hummed, not quite convinced but not wanting to start an argument, "So... Is the headmaster expecting me?"

_**"Oh yes, I made sure an owl was sent off to request a meeting with him before I sent you to this time period. He wrote back and is expecting you today, but he doesn't know what time you are to arrive."**_

"Well how am I supposed to get up to the school? I need someone to let me in through the gates, as I doubt they'd appreciate me sneaking my way into the school through a secret passageway."

Harry could almost _feel_ Death's exasperation, _**"Send a Patronus message to Dumbledore's office. He should be alone at this time."**_

"Wouldn't it be very suspicious if it somehow got back to the Marauder's that my Patronus takes the form of a stag? You know, _James Potter's_ _animagus form?_ "

Death sighed, _**"Your form is no longer a stag. Honestly Master, did you think I hadn't thought of the little things like this?"**_

Harry was a bit stunned, "What do you mean it's not a stag? What is it now?"

_**"How about you actually cast the charm and see for yourself?"**_

Harry pulled out his wand and did as suggested. _"Expecto Patronum!"_

A bright light emerged from his wand, immediately shaping itself into the form of —

"A thestral..." Harry murmured, slightly amazed. "... Makes sense, I suppose."

Death snorted, _**"You**_ **suppose _do you. Well, now you've not only seen death in the sense of seeing someone's life end, you've also seen the literal personification of Death itself... A thestral only seemed appropriate."_**

Harry nodded in agreement absentmindedly, busy admiring his new Patronus. After a moment he shook himself and addressed the waiting thestral.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, my name is Harrison. I am standing outside the gates to Hogwarts, awaiting entry so that we may begin my job interview." Harry flicked his wand and sent the Patronus off to Dumbledore.

"Would I be correct in assuming you didn't give away my new surname in your letter?"

_**"Of course Master. Did you really think I'd deprive you of his reaction?"**_

"You _are_ fairly unpredictable Death. I truthfully don't know what to expect from you anymore."

**_"Oh Master... Life would be_** **incredibly _boring if I was predictable. Death needs to be unpredictable in order to keep you mortals on your toes."_**

Harry snorted at his mental companion, but was quickly distracted when he caught sight of a figure in dark purple robes heading his way.

Albus Dumbledore.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath as his mind was suddenly bombarded by flashes of memories — _Dumbledore pleading for death while Harry forced him to drink poison... Dumbledore held at wand point by Draco Malfoy... Snape blasting Dumbledore off the Astronomy Tower with a flash of deadly green light —_

_**"... Master! Snap out of it, Master! It's alright, that's not going to happen again, you'll make sure of it. You have to focus Master, he's almost to the gates!"**_

Harry blinked rapidly for a moment and ran a hand over his face, releasing a shaky breath as the images faded away.

_'_ _Okay... Okay... I'm okay. What just happened?'_ Harry thought to Death, not wanting Dumbledore to see him seemingly talking to himself.

_**"You were triggered by the sight of Dumbledore. It caused you to have flashbacks of your most traumatic memories associated with the man. You would have escalated into a panic attack if I hadn't worked to strengthen the occlumancy shields around those particular memories."**_

_'Well, shit. Thanks for that. I'm sure having a panic attack the first time I meet the man would be a bad first impression.'_

_**"Indeed."**_

Harry looked up just in time to see Dumbledore stop a few paces from the gates. The old man waved his wand — _'The Elder Wand.'_ Harry noted — and Harry heard the lock _'_ _click'_ open _._ He stood back as the huge metal gates swung open noisily, then he walked forward and held his head up with confidence he did not truly feel. 

He felt the moment he crossed the wards as warmth seemed to flood his body, welcoming him home. He smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Dumbledore." Harry greeted, shaking the man's hand firmly.

"The pleasure's all mine, Mr..." Dumbledore trailed off. His eyes weren't twinkling at full capacity, which Harry could understand considering the circumstances. War times are not easy to live through, and Dumbledore had already been through one in his lifetime.

"Peverell. Harrison Peverell, sir." Harry answered the silent request for a surname. He watched as Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly, before the man caught himself and returned Harry's friendly smile.

"I'll admit, Mr. Peverell," Dumbledore began as the pair of them started walking towards the castle, the gates closing behind them, "I was not expecting such a quick response to the job opening I had posted in the Daily Prophet."

"Well, I've been searching for a good job opportunity for a while now, and I love teaching, so when I saw that there was a position at Hogwarts open, I knew I had to go for it." Harry lied easily.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, "It will certainly make my job easier if you qualify for the post. It was quite inconvenient when our last professor suddenly decided to take a year off on vacation. I hope you understand that we are only asking for a year-long stand-in, and not a semi-permanent placement on the staff."

Harry hummed, "Yes, I understand the terms of this position. It is my hope that another position will be available next year, so that I may apply for a longer teaching stint."

"Well, I can tell you right now Mr. Peverell, the only post that is almost guaranteed to be open next year is Defense Against the Dark Arts, and it has been decades since a professor has held the job for longer than a year. All of the other positions are rarely ever in need of a restaffing." Dumbledore glanced at Harry, "Not to mention, you'll have to have the proper qualifications for whichever post you wish to apply for."

Harry nodded, "I know."

The duo put their conversation on hold as they entered the castle, and the rest of their walk to the headmaster's office was spent in silence.

Dumbledore gave the password when they came to the gargoyle guarding his office, "Sugar quills."

Harry looked at the man in amusement as they stepped onto the staircase; Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"I must admit that I have quite the sweet tooth, Mr. Peverell."

Harry smiled, "So do I at times, although I am especially partial to chocolate and treacle tart."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Indeed." They stepped off the revolving staircase as they reached the top and entered the office. Dumbledore gestured towards one of the chairs in front of his desk as he went to claim his own seat behind it, "Please, take a seat and we will get started."

Harry sat and glanced around the room. It was much the same as it had been the first time Harry had ever set foot in it, only Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, seemed to be absent from the room. The portraits of past headmasters and headmistresses were, of course, pretending to be asleep, but Harry could just make out that their eyes were not fully closed as they tried to subtly watched him with interest.

He returned his attention to the headmaster, who smiled and held out a small bowl full of yellow candies. 

"Lemon drop?"

Harry shrugged and grabbed one, "Sure." He popped it into his mouth and nearly cringed from the sour taste.

Dumbledore took one of the candies for himself, then he settled back in his chair and peered at Harry from above his half-moon spectacles.

"Now then, Mr. Peverell, before we get on with your job interview... please forgive my curiosity, but I was under the impression that the Peverell family had gone extinct in the male line...?"

Harry smiled indulgently, knowing Dumbledore was currently attempting to use legilimency on him, "Ah yes, well, centuries ago most of my family decided to go stealth and let the public believe what they wanted about us. My side of the family went traveling around the world, using fake names and glamour charms at times to avoid being found, while the other two branches stayed here in Great Britain. One branch eventually _did_ end in the male line, but the other branch changed their last name from Peverell to Potter. So I guess, technically, in the event of my untimely death, the current Potter heir could claim the Peverell Family Lordship if he wished to do so."

Dumbledore was nodding his head thoughtfully, "Fascinating..." He murmured. "And may I ask why your family went stealth?"

Harry inclined his head, "My family had some... _involvement..._ with a couple of really powerful and dangerous magical objects. I'm afraid that many people believed that members of my family had _made_ the objects themselves, and thus sought to force them to create more. My family _did not_ create the objects however, so my family decided that it would be in our best interests to hide away until a time came when we could reemerge safely." Harry looked down, pretending to be sad, "My parents recently passed on, and I decided that now would be as good a time as any to rejoin the Wizarding Community of Great Britain."

Dumbledore looked at Harry in empathy, although Harry knew that the man was internally stewing over the information and references he had made towards the Deathly Hallows, "I'm sorry for your loss, my boy."

Harry looked up and gave Dumbledore what he hoped looked like a grateful smile, "It's alright, I suppose. It's not the first time I've lost people dear to me, unfortunately. I'm used to it at this point."

Dumbledore looked even more empathetic now, "In that case, I'm even more sorry that you've had to go through so much loss that you've grown used to it. Especially since you appear to be quite young still..."

Harry gave a small, sad laugh, "Yeah, I'm only twenty years old, and sometimes it feels like I'm going on ninety."

Dumbledore look at him in surprise, "I must say, while I knew you to be young, I hadn't expected you to only be a year out of your teens..."

Harry snorted, "More like a day out of my teens..." At Dumbledore's questioning look, he elaborated, "My birthday is today."

The old headmaster smiled at him, "Well then, Happy Birthday, my boy."

"Thank you."

Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair and steepled his hands on his desk, "Now, how about we actually get on to what you are here for?" Harry nodded in acceptance, and Dumbledore continued, "What qualifies you for the Divination post here at Hogwarts?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I very much hope that you are satisfied with Harry becoming the Divination Professor. Trust me, it's all part of the plan ;)
> 
> Now, I was going to have the job interview and everything take place in this chapter, but it took me a long time just to write this so I decided to split it up into two chapters. I hope you guys don't mind, it shouldn't take me too long to get the next chapter out, but I wanted to make sure I updated this story before the weekend was over. 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you have any feedback! Constructive criticism is welcome!


	4. Professor Peverell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Dumbledore go through Harry's job interview, and Harry becomes the new Divination professor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter because of reasons. 
> 
> It's shorter than I wanted and it took me longer to write than I had expected it to, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway.
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you, then please be careful if you still choose to read this story!
> 
> I beta my own work, so please let me know if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes so that I can fix them!

* * *

_(Previously: Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair and steepled his hands on his desk, "Now, how about we actually get on to what you are here for?" Harry nodded in acceptance, and Dumbledore continued, "What qualifies you for the Divination post here at Hogwarts?")_

* * *

"Merlin, where do I start?" Harry laughed lightly, "Um... I got O's on both my Divination O.W.L. and N.E.W.T.... I also achieved my Divination Mastery when I was seventeen... I actually have my transcripts with me right now, hold on." Harry pulled his shrunken transcripts out of his pocket and resized them before handing them to the headmaster. The old man looked quite pleased as he read through them. 

"Um, there's something else that qualifies me for this position..."

"Yes...?" Dumbledore inquired, already looking happy with Harry's qualifications.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, "I'm a seer."

Dumbledore paused, then looked up at Harry seriously, "Do you have any way to prove that claim, Mr. Peverell? After all, genuine seers are incredibly rare, and most of them currently don't go about revealing their gift for fear of being captured by Lord Voldemort."

When Harry didn't flinch at the name, Dumbledore looked at him in approval, but the old man still eyed the younger sternly.

Harry, meanwhile, was internally freaking out.

_'Shit. Shit, shit, shit!_ How _am I supposed to prove that I'm a real seer?"_

_**"Don't sorry Master, your gift will prove itself momentarily."**_

_'What the hell is that supposed to mean?!'_

Harry realized Dumbledore was still waiting for an answer and opened his mouth to speak, "I don't —"

Suddenly, Harry felt his body stiffen up involuntarily, and his mind seemed to disconnect from the rest of him. He distantly felt his mouth open again, this time without his permission, and heard his voice — sounding deeper and rougher than he was used to — through muffled ears. He could barely make out the words his body was spouting:

_“As the Summer Solstice reigns in the coming year, the Little King of Leo shall turn against his Master… And the one Death follows shall save him from a watery grave of the undead… In time the Little King shall be reunited with his brother, born in the time of Scorpio, both united under a common goal once more… As the Summer Solstice reigns the Little King shall be saved from a watery grave…”_

Everything went still and quiet for a moment, and then Harry felt himself return to his body; his muscles relaxing and his senses returning to normal as he let out a gasp of air. 

He couldn't believe it... He had just made a _prophecy..._ An actual fucking _prophecy..._

_..._ And during his job interview too. 

Harry wanted to groan at the unfortunate similarity he now shared with Sybil Trelawney, but he held it back as he focused on the old man still sitting in front of him. 

Dumbledore was staring at him in shock, a quill in his hand and a piece of parchment now on his desk.

Harry chuckled nervously, "Well... There's your proof, I guess." He sighed, "I was _not_ expecting that to happen... _Merlin..."_

Dumbledore shook himself and looked at Harry with new eyes, "Well, Mr. Peverell, you sure are full of surprises. I wrote down what you said here, just in case you didn't remember giving a prophecy, but I assume that was unnecessary?"

Harry nodded, "I remember everything. Not every seer remembers their prophecies, so I can count myself lucky on that."

"Indeed... Indeed..." Dumbledore murmured, looking down and reading over the prophecy Harry had just made. "Is there anything in this prophecy that you can make sense of? Do you know who it is referring to, for instance?"

Harry thought over the contents of the prophecy and realized instantly that _'the one Death follows'_ referred to himself. Once he realized that, he didn't hesitate to lie, "No, I haven't got a clue, headmaster."

Harry knew he'd have to analyze the rest of the prophecy later on and decode what the full thing meant, but for now he wanted to focus on keeping his connection with Death a secret.

The headmaster hummed in acknowledgement, then glanced up at Harry, "Would you like to keep this?" He held up the parchment with the prophecy written on it, "I assume you wish to attempt to decipher your prediction?"

"Yes, please," Harry agreed as he took his prophecy from the headmaster. "Thank you."

Dumbledore cleared his throat after a moment and moved the conversation back to Harry possibly filling the vacant Divination post, "Well, your qualifications are very impressive, Mr. Peverell. But before I can hire you to the staff, I have a few questions I must ask you."

Harry nodded, "Alright, fire away."

Dumbledore peered at him over his half-moon spectacles, "Mr. Peverell, are you now or have you ever been a supporter of the Dark Lord Voldemort?"

Harry looked the old man straight in the eye, "No, I have never supported Lord Voldemort."

"Are you now or have you ever been an active user of the Dark Arts?"

"No, sir."

"Do you have any close friends or family members who currently support Lord Voldemort?"

"Not that I am aware of, sir."

"And do you have any close friends or family members who are active users of the Dark Arts?"

"Once again, not that I am aware of, Headmaster."

Dumbledore continued to stare at Harry intently for a few moments, making Harry want to squirm under his gaze. Finally, the old man smiled, and Harry silently released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Congratulations, _Professor_ Peverell, you've got the job." The headmaster reached across his desk to shake Harry's hand, "Welcome to the staff."

Harry grinned, "Thank you, Headmaster." 

"Please, we are colleagues now, call me Albus."

"Thank you Albus, in that case, you may call me Harrison."

Dumbledore — _no,_ Albus — inclined his head in acknowledgement, "Shall we discuss the details of being a Professor at Hogwarts then, Harrison?" 

"Yes, please."

"Alright, well the students will return to school on the 1st of September so you have until then to write up lesson plans, and you have until the 20th of August to decide on what book you wish to use as the Divination textbook. Tomorrow at 8am all of the professors are required to attend a staff meeting to discuss the coming school year. A Hogwarts house elf may escort you to the staff room in time for the meeting. Now, any questions so far?" 

"Just two. How much am I going to get paid, and what is my daily teaching schedule going to look like?"

Albus chuckled, "Ah, yes... Let's get your schedule out of the way first, and then I will explain to you how Hogwarts pays its staff members." He pulled open a drawer on the left side of his desk and looked through it for a moment before pulling out a piece of parchment and handing it to Harry. "This is the master timetable for the Divination classes of 1978-1979."

Harry nodded in thanks and looked down at his future schedule:

* * *

> _ **MASTER TIMETABLE — DIVINATION** _
> 
> _**(1978 – 1979 School Year)** _
> 
> **Monday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _7:00am – 8:00am._
> 
> **First Period =** _8:15am – 9:15am_ **=** 5th Year Gryffindors & Slytherins. 
> 
> **Second Period =** _9:25am – 10:25am_ **=** 3rd Year Hufflepuffs & Ravenclaws.
> 
> **Third Period =** _10:35am – 11:35am_ **=** Free Break. 
> 
> **Lunch =** _11:50am – 12:50pm._
> 
> **Fourth Period =** _1:05pm – 2:05pm_ **=** 3rd Year Gryffindors & Slytherins.
> 
> **Fifth Period =** _2:15pm – 3:15pm_ **=** 5th Year Hufflepuffs & Ravenclaws.
> 
> **Sixth Period =** _3:25pm – 4:25pm_ **=** Free Break.
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm._
> 
> **Tuesday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _7:00am – 8:00am._
> 
> **First Period =** _8:15am – 9:15am_ **=** 4th Year Hufflepuffs & Ravenclaws.
> 
> **Second Period =** _9:25am – 10:25am_ **=** 6th Year All Houses. 
> 
> **Third Period =** _10:35am – 11:35am_ **=** Free Break. 
> 
> **Lunch =** _11:50am – 12:50pm._
> 
> **Fourth Period =** _1:05pm – 2:05pm_ **=** Free Break.
> 
> **Fifth Period =** _2:15pm – 3:15pm_ **=** 7th Year All Houses. 
> 
> **Sixth Period =** _3:25pm – 4:25pm_ **=** 4th Year Gryffindors & Slytherins.
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm._
> 
> **Corridor Patrol =** _10:30pm – 12:00am_ **=** Seventh Floor.
> 
> **Wednesday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _7:00am – 8:00am._
> 
> **First Period =** _8:15am – 9:15am_ **=** 5th Year Gryffindors & Slytherins. 
> 
> **Second Period =** _9:25am – 10:25am_ **=** 3rd Year Hufflepuffs & Ravenclaws.
> 
> **Third Period =** _10:35am – 11:35am_ **=** Free Break. 
> 
> **Lunch =** _11:50am – 12:50pm._
> 
> **Fourth Period =** _1:05pm – 2:05pm_ **=** 3rd Year Gryffindors & Slytherins.
> 
> **Fifth Period =** _2_ _:15pm – 3:15pm_ **=** 5th Year Hufflepuffs & Ravenclaws.
> 
> **Sixth Period =** _3:25pm – 4:25pm_ **=** Free Break.
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm._
> 
> **Thursday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _7:00am – 8:00am._
> 
> **First Period =** _8:15am – 9:15am_ **=** 4th Year Hufflepuffs & Ravenclaws.
> 
> **Second Period =** _9:25am – 10:25am_ **=** 6th Year All Houses. 
> 
> **Third Period =** _10:35am – 11:35am_ **=** Free Break. 
> 
> **Lunch =** _11:50am – 12:50pm._
> 
> **Fourth Period =** _1:05pm – 2:05pm_ **=** Free Break.
> 
> **Fifth Period =** _2:15pm – 3:15pm_ **=** 7th Year All Houses. 
> 
> **Sixth Period =** _3:25pm – 4:25pm_ **=** 4th Year Gryffindors & Slytherins.
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm._
> 
> **Corridor Patrol =** _10:30pm – 12:00am_ **=** Seventh Floor. 
> 
> **Friday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _7:00am – 8:00am._
> 
> **Lunch =** _11:50am – 12:50pm._
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm._
> 
> **Saturday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _8:00am – 9:00am._
> 
> **Lunch =** _12:00pm – 1:30pm._
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm._
> 
> **Sunday**
> 
> **Breakfast =** _8:00am – 9:00am._
> 
> **Lunch =** _12:00pm – 1:30pm._
> 
> **Dinner =** _5:30pm – 6:30pm_

* * *

Harry looked up curiously, "I have no classes on Fridays?"

Albus inclined his head, "Indeed, each of the five elective professors get a week day without classes. This year, for Muggle Studies it is Monday, for Ancient Runes it is Tuesday, for Care of Magical Creatures it is Wednesday, for Arithmancy it is Thursday, and for Divination, it is, of course, Friday. Next year, each class will move up a day. So, for example, the Divination professor will have their free day on Monday, instead of Friday."

Harry nodded in understanding. He put the schedule in his pocket. "And my pay?"

"Ah yes. Well, as you can imagine, as this is a boarding school, Hogwarts Professors work almost year round. As such, they are paid quite handsomely. For every class you teach you will earn seven galleons, and four galleons for every hour that you are at Hogwarts or performing Hogwarts business outside of teaching. So, if you spent an entire week performing Hogwarts duties, you would earn yourself seven hundred and twenty galleons."

Harry gaped, "Ex-excuse me?! Seven _hundred and twenty galleons!_ Oh Merlin..." He put a hand to his forehead in shock. _'No wonder you wanted me to work at Hogwarts!'_

_**"Yes Master, it pays rather well, doesn't it?"** _

_'Yeah, no shit!'_

Albus chuckled, "You weren't expecting that I presume?"

"No... No, I was not." Harry said, still in disbelief. It was a good thing he was already sitting, otherwise he'd have fallen on his ass. 

"Well," Albus began as he stood from his chair, "I believe that's all we have to discuss at the present time. A house elf will now show you to your new living quarters so that you can settle in." The two men shook hands after Harry had stood up as well. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Harrison. I look forward to getting to know you better during the coming school year."

"And I you, Albus." Harry replied, smiling widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Did it suck? Was it okay? Was it amazing? Let me know by leaving a comment!


	5. New Living Quarters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Death talk a bit and Harry inspects his new home inside Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super short and I'm sorry... I will try to get a longer chapter out this weekend if I can. 
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you, then please be careful if you still choose to read this story!
> 
> I beta my own work, so if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes then please tell me so that I can fix them!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this (short) chapter!

* * *

_'Well, that went well.'_

_**"Indeed, Master. He was quite impressed by you."**_

_'Hopefully that means he'll invite me to join the Order of the Phoenix sooner, rather than later.'_

_**"I'm confident that even if your interview wasn't enough, you'll get a chance to show off how valuable you could be to the Order eventually. Trouble always seems to find you, after all."**_

_'I just hope that nothing happens while I'm on Hogwarts grounds... The last thing I want to do is endanger the students...'_

_**"We'll just have to wait and see how things play out, Master. And if we're lucky, my sister might forewarn us through the gift she gave you."**_

_'I guess so..."_

_**"Don't fret too much Master, it'll just give you a headache."**_

Harry snorted. Him and Death were silent for a few minutes.

_'Hey, Death?'_

_**"Yes, Master?"**_

_'What does the Prophecy I made mean?'_

_**"Master..."**_ Death sighed, _ **"With your knowledge of the future, I'd think the meaning behind your Prophecy would be pretty obvious."**_

Harry frowned and dug the written Prophecy out of his pocket. He read it over line by line a few times before realisation finally dawned on him. 

_'"As the summer solstice reigns in the coming year," Well that's obviously_ when _this is going to happen, I'll have to look up when the summer solstice is next year..._

_'"The Little King of Leo shall turn against his Master... And the one Death follows shall save him from a watery grave of the undead..." That has to be referring to Regulus Black. He died in that cave of inferi, and the star Regulus is in the Leo constellation, if I remember correctly from Astronomy class... I'm gonna guess that Regulus means Little King?'_

_**"That is one of the names meanings, yes."** _

Harry nodded absentmindedly, _'So... This means that I have to save Regulus Black when he goes to switch out the locket horcrux for the fake, and him and Sirius will eventually be reunited, with both of them being against Voldemort. Right?'_

_**"Correct, Master."**_

"Master Peverell sir, these are your new living quarters." 

Harry jumped, startled, and focused his attention back on Milly, the house elf that Albus had summoned to show him to his new home for the next eleven months. The relatively young looking elf was standing in front of a large portrait of a young man. He had a mop of red hair and light green eyes, and he was wearing an outfit that was a bright yellow-orange colour. It reminded Harry of a toga... Or a bed sheet.

Death snorted, _**"He's wearing a chiton and a himation, Master. Clothing typically worn in Ancient Greece between 750 BC and 30 BC."**_

Harry blinked, surprised, _'Damn, that's a long time ago...'_

He looked down at Milly, "Thank you Milly, you can go back to what you were doing before."

Milly bowed her head, "Just call Milly if you be needing anything else Master Peverell sir." She popped away. 

Harry looked back up at the portrait, "Um... Hi, I'm the new Divination professor, Harrison Peverell."

The red-haired man smiled at him, "I am Mopsus the Soothsayer, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Professor. Please set a password for your quarters."

Harry thought for a moment, then smiled, "Make the password: _Sapphire_."

Mopsus nodded, and his portrait swung open, granting Harry entrance.

Harry slowly walked in, taking his time to observe his new home. Once he crossed the threshold, the portrait swung shut behind him. 

The first room he found himself in was a nice sized living room, complete with a sofa, love seat, and an armchair surrounding a coffee table and a fireplace on the right side of the room. The left side of the room had floor to ceiling bookshelves along the whole wall. The floor had a soft, dark brown carpet and the walls were a light blue. The furniture was all made with nice dark brown wood that was almost black, ( _ **"Black Walnut..."**_ Death specified), and the sofa, love seat, and armchair were a neutral beige.

Harry hummed, "It's kinda cozy in here." He walked over to the bookshelves and ran his hand over a few titles. He picked one randomly and pulled it off the shelf. He read the title on the front:

**A History of Death Omens: Volume I**

_**By: Sam E. Cobble** _

Harry raised an eyebrow. Death snorted.

**"Of course _you manage to randomly pick a book about death omens..."_**

Harry shook his head in amusement and returned the book to it's place on the shelf. Then he moved towards the back wall, which had two doors. He opened the one on the left to discover a good sized bathroom that had both a shower and a bath tub big enough that two people could soak comfortably.

After a final glance around the room, Harry backed out and shut the door, then he went and opened the one on the right. 

The final room turned out to be a fairly large bedroom. The floor and the walls were the same as in the living room, and the furniture was sticking to the theme of black walnut wood. To the right of the door, Harry saw a comfortable looking chair and a desk that appeared to have all the essentials: Quills, ink, parchment, envelopes and the like. Further down the wall, he saw a wardrobe standing in the corner of the room. 

Harry turned his attention to the back wall, which had a wide mirror hanging on it. Right below the mirror, was the headboard of a queen sized bed, which had beige sheets and pillows.

Seeing that there was nothing else of interest, Harry left the room and let himself collapse onto his new sofa. He let out a tired sigh.

"Well, these rooms are nice, but they are rather... Empty."

_**"One person normally doesn't need that much stuff, Master. Besides, you've just moved in! Once you start getting paid, you can start buying yourself some personal belongings... That should help make this place feel more like home."**_

"Yeah... You're right." Harry stared thoughtfully at the unlit fireplace. "It's just weird, to be staying in a teacher's quarters after all those years of living in the Gryffindor dorm rooms with four other messy guys..."

_**"... I guess it is a rather drastic change to what you were used too. But sometimes change is a good thing."**_

Harry smiled slightly and nodded. He opened his mouth to verbally respond, but a yawn stole his words away.

Death chuckled, _**"You should sleep, Master. You've had quite a day today."**_

Harry agreed sleepily as he stood up and made his way back to his new bedroom, where he toed his shoes off and slipped under the covers, not even bothering with the rest of his clothes. He fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably sucked because I can't describe indoor or outdoor environments to save my life, but I hope you all liked it anyway.
> 
> Once again, I'm sorry it's so short! I just really wanted to get this boring part of the story out of the way. The plot shall continue in the next chapter!
> 
> Leave a comment if you want, constructive criticism is welcome!


	6. Death Can't Sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Harry gets an annoying wake up call and learns new things over night. (Death's doing of course.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just ignore me if I say I should have a chapter out within a certain time frame because I can't keep an updating schedule to save my life. Also, I made a twitter account so I can give my reader's updates on my stories and how chapters are coming along, so if you wish for updates between chapters, follow me at @Damien_B_Potter!
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you, then please be careful if you still choose to read this story!
> 
> I beta my own work, so if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes then please tell me so that I can fix them! (Please inform me of any plot holes as well.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_**"Wake up Master... Come on... Open those green eyes of yours... You've got a busy morning ahead of you."**_

Harry groaned in sleepy protest, "Ugh... Five more minutes..." He snuggled his face against his warm pillow and sighed in contentment.

His contentment was short-lived however, as he was unceremoniously treated to the loud sound of Death's off tone singing.

_**"Ooh~ What a lovely bunch of cauldrons~** _

_**Filled to the brim with liquid love!** _

_**Ooh~ What's a wizard to do when faced with his greatest attraction~** _

_**He'll sweep you off your feet with just a taste of this secret potion!** _

_**Ooh~ That's the power of Amortentia!~"** _

Harry covered his ears in a futile effort to block out Death's horrible singing, "Alright, alright! Fucking hell, just stop singing for Merlin's sake!"

Death laughed gleefully, **_"Next time, I would recommend setting an alarm. Otherwise, I'll have no other choice but to treat you to my_ amazing _singing skills once again."_**

Harry snorted disdainfully, _"'Amazing singing skills'_ my arse..." He muttered.

**_"I_ can _hear you, Master."_**

"Good!"

Harry rolled his eyes, swung his legs over the side of his bed, and stood up. He reached his arms up over his head and stretched, groaning happily as his back popped.

"What time is it?" Harry asked before yawning as he wondered out of his bedroom and into the bathroom, absently noting that his wand was on his bedside table.

**_"6:05 in the morning, Master."_**

Harry nodded and stripped out of his dirty clothes before folding them and setting them on the counter by the sink. Death wolf-whistled as Harry examined his naked body in the full body mirror on the wall next to the shower.

Harry still had his lean build, perfect for a being a seeker, but he had apparently gained a bit more muscle when Death had fixed his body. He was also slightly taller, standing at about 5'10", instead of 5'8". He was slightly startled to realize that he wasn't wearing any glasses.

"Did you fix my eyesight when you sent me back?"

_**"Yes. I can't believe you're just now noticing that."**_

"Oh, shut it."

Harry glanced down and frowned as he noticed a black symbol on his left arm. He brought his arm up to get a closer look and paused. 

"... Death?"

_**"Yes Master?"**_ Death replied innocently.

"Why do I have the symbol of the Deathly Hallows tattooed on my arm... And how long has it been there?"

_**"Ah yes, well, you've had it since you entered the past. It's to show that you are the Master of the Hallows — and thus, the Master of Death."**_

"Okay... And is there a reason why it is directly where the Dark Mark would be on a Death Eater?"

**_"... Not really, no. I hadn't considered that to be honest."_**

Harry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "...You know what? It's whatever. I doubt anyone will ever see it, anyway."

**_"Any lover you take to bed would."_**

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not going to take anyone to bed then, isn't it?"

_**"Sure, Master, whatever you say."**_

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored Death as he stepped into the shower and began to wash up. 

"So... Did you do the whole knowledge transfer thing last night? Because I don't feel any different."

_**"Yes, I did. All I did was put the knowledge into your mind, so you shouldn't feel different. It should be like you've had the knowledge for years."**_

Harry hummed as he rinsed the soap off his body. "Neat. Now, are you going to tell me what exactly you transferred?"

_**"Well, only since you asked so nicely, Master. I transferred the complete knowledge of every known language, enough history knowledge to support your History of Magic Mastery, and all the knowledge you'll need as a Seer and Divination professor."**_

Harry paused as he stepped out of the shower, thinking. "...Huh. Now that I know what to look for, I can pull that information to the front of my mind." Harry smiled, _"So, how's my pronunciation?"_ He asked in Russian.

**_"Perfect, Master."_**

Harry grinned excitedly, "This is _so_ fucking cool."

**_"I'm glad you think so, Master. I feel I should inform you, that I also transfered the knowledge of how the Wizengamot works and who the members are."_**

Harry frowned in confusion, "Why?"

_**"Because, if you want to avoid another Dark Lord rising, you'll have to make certain that the Ministry of Magic changes. There are many things that you could change through the Wizengamot that would help improve the lives of many magical beings."**_

Harry sighed, "Great... Just another thing to worry about..." Harry searched through his new-found knowledge for a moment, then his eyes widened in surprise, "James Potter is on the Wizengamot?" 

_**"Indeed. As you should know now, his father Fleamont is Lord Potter. And since James is now a Hogwarts graduate..."**_

"... He's getting practical experience so he'll be ready when his father eventually retires from the Wizengamot." Harry finished.

_**"Exactly. And once his father retires, James will gain full control of the Potter votes. As of right now, he only has access to one vote, while his father holds the rest."**_

"Why didn't anybody tell me about any of this back when I was still Harry Potter?"

_**"Because parents who have seats on the Wizengamot are usually the ones to teach their children about how the Wizengamot works, and if they are unable to, the duty is supposed to fall to the godparents. In your case, with everything going on, Sirius never got a chance to teach you anything. And then the war took everyone's attention, so no one ever realised that you didn't know you could request to claim seats on the Wizengamot. You wouldn't have been able to join the Wizengamot as the head of your family until you were eighteen anyway, and by the time you were old enough, the Ministry was under Voldemort's control."**_

Harry hummed thoughtfully. 

_**"We can discuss this in more detail later, Master. For now, you should probably be getting dressed."**_

Harry looked down, startled, only to realise that he was still standing in front of the shower with a towel around his waist. He blushed in embarrassment.

"... Right."

Harry looked to the counter where he had left his clothes, only to see that they were gone.

"Where the hell are my clothes?"

_**"The house elves took them to be washed, Master."**_

"Well, how am I going to get dressed now? You only sent me here with one set of... clothes..." He trailed off as his eyes widened.

**_"Master?"_**

"Merlin's saggy left testicle! I left all my galleons in my trousers pocket! Fucking hell..." Harry exclaimed, beginning to pace in agitation, "What the fuck am I supposed to do?! I have no money, no clean clothes..."

_**"Master, you —"** _

"— couldn't have sent me back with just a little more to live off of could you —"

_**"Master please —"**_

"— no idea how I'm supposed to get anything done like this —"

_**"MASTER!"**_

Harry stopped abruptly, shocked that Death had raised it's voice.

Death sighed in exasperation, **_"Now that I have your attention... The house elves put your money on your bedside table next to your bed, so you can quit swearing like a sailor... And there should be spare robes in your wardrobe."_**

Harry blinked before blushing, "Oh..."

_**"Yes,**_ **oh. _"_**

"Sorry Death, I shouldn't have..."

**_"Eh, don't worry yourself, Master. Just get yourself ready for the day, you have a staff meeting to attend, remember?"_**

Harry's eyes widened, "Shit, what time is it?!" He ran in his bedroom and tossed open the wardrobe doors, grabbing the first set of robes he could find and throwing them on. 

_**"It's 7:30am, Master."**_

Harry paused after grabbing his stuff off his bedside table. "Then why am I rushing? I have plenty of time..."

_**"I don't know Master, you're the one who assumed you were running late."**_

Harry huffed and rolled his eyes, "You're a right arsehole, I hope you know that "

_**"Oh trust me Master, I'm aware."**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Next chapter will be the staff meeting, so look forward to that! 
> 
> Leave a comment letting me know what you think!


	7. Staff Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry goes to the staff meeting and meets his new colleagues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. It's been awhile. I apologize for the long wait inbetween chapters... Life, depression, and writer's block kinda got in the way a bit. 
> 
> Good news is, I graduated High School!  
> Bad news is, I now have many WIP that I need to work on alongside this... Plus my other published stories which are currently on hold...  
> More good news is, this story will hopefully be updated more frequently now that I have some motivation for writing back!
> 
> Anyways... I've read all of your comments, even if I didn't have the motivation required to reply to most of you, and I'm really happy that the majority of you are enjoying this story!
> 
> ⚠ If any of the tags trigger you, then please be careful if you still choose to read this story!
> 
> I beta my own work, so if you find any spelling or grammar mistakes then please tell me so that I can fix them! (Please inform me of any plot holes as well.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

_**"May I ask why you made the password to your rooms '**_ **Sapphire _', Master?"_**

Harry was leisurely walking down one of the corridors on the seventh floor, heading towards the grand staircase, his hands in the pockets of his borrowed robes. Milly the House Elf was walking ahead of him once again, acting as his guide to the staff room. 

_'Well, considering how much you seemed to like hinting at my connection to Rowena Ravenclaw, I figured that_ 'Sapphire' _would be appropriate since that's the kind of gem imbedded in the Diadem of Ravenclaw.'_

_**"Hmm, well I'm glad you didn't pick something like...**_ **'Boy-Who-Lived' _or some rubbish like that."_**

Harry laughed out loud, startling Milly and the portraits around him, ' _Oh Merlin no!'_ He snorted, _'_ _Why would I want to do that? I hate that stupid moniker.'_

_**"Hell if I know, Master, that was just the first thing that came to mind. After all, it's rather easy to remember."**_

Harry snorted again, _'_ _Maybe so, but it's still stupid.'_

As Harry reached the grand staircase, he sighed. Why did the staff room have to be on the ground floor...? Well, at least the stairs were good exercise.

_'I have to admit, I am a bit curious as to why I was given rooms on the seventh floor, instead of in the North Tower like Trelawney had.'_

_**"It is to my understanding that Trelawney had requested rooms away from the rest of the school. So the office for the Divination professor was magically expanded to include a living quarters."**_

_'Huh. Interesting. So I guess, if I wanted to, I could request that the Divination classroom be moved to another part of the castle?"_

_**"You could... But do you want to?"**_

_'Not really, you can see the Quiddich Pitch from the North Tower.'_

Harry heard Death snort, _**'Of course that's a deciding factor for you.'**_

Harry smiled and kept walking down the stairs, speeding up a bit to make sure he would make it to the meeting on time. 

* * *

Standing alone in front of the two gargoyles stood on either side of the door to the staff room, Harry took a deep breath. He was about to come face-to-face with professors he had known for years... And they wouldn't know him. He was a whole new person now. They had no reason to trust him, and this first impression could make earning their trust easier or harder depending on how much he fucks it up. 

**_'You are not going to fuck anything up, Master. You'll be fine. Just be yourself.'_**

Harry smiled, _'Thanks, Death.'_

He put his hand on the door knob and let the remaining tension in his body drain away, then he entered the room. 

"Ah, Harrison, you're just in time, please take a seat." Albus gestured to the only open chair remaining, which was between the Headmaster and Professor Vector. Harry wondered if Albus had kept that seat open just for him, and if he did, _why_?

Harry inclined his head and took his seat, glancing around the room. There were two women and one man he didn't recognize, he guessed one was most likely the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and since he didn't see Professor Sinistra or Professor Burbage, he felt it was safe to assume that two of the unknown people were the current professors for Astronomy and Muggle Studies.

Death snorted, _**'Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.'**_

Harry twitched, trying not to laugh. _'You're a prick, Death.'_

_**'I try, Master.'**_

Harry was saved from responding when Albus spoke up. 

"Welcome, welcome everyone, I hope you all have had an enjoyable summer..." Albus trailed off as the staff replied with nods and affimitives, "Good, good. As those of you who have worked here in previous years can see, we have two new faces sitting among us today. Allow me to introduce Professor Alessia McCoy and Professor Harrison Peverell, who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Divination respectfully." Albus gestured to a woman with dirty blonde hair and light green eyes before doing the same towards Harry. 

The staff clapped politely while Harry and Alessia inclined their heads in acknowledgement.

"Harrison, Alessia, this is Minerva McGonagall. She is Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor house, and the Transfiguration professor." Albus motioned towards the stern woman on his right, who nodded at them each in turn with a polite smile in her face, although Harry could tell it was slightly strained when directed his way, which caused him some confusion.

_**'Master, I am sure you remember her distain for Divination as a whole. I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon enough.'** _

Harry almost rolled his eyes. He couldn't wait to show his old Head of House the true power of Divination. Especially when a _true_ and _educated_ seer is the one teaching the subject. 

"Next to Minerva is Horace Slughorn. He is Head of Slytherin house and the resident Potions Master and professor."

The man smiled widely at them, eyes staring rather intensely at them both, but more so Harry. 

_'Oh no, please don't tell me he likes to collect new colleagues as well as students...'_

_**'Okay Master, I won't tell you that he does exactly that.'**_

Harry groaned inwardly. _'Oh_ fuck _me...'_

_**'Is that an order Master?'**_

_'Fuck off.'_

Harry carefully kept his face blank as Death laughed at his misfortune.

"After Horace is Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw house and the Charms professor."

The short man waved cheerfully at the new staff members, earning twin smiles from the pair.

"And then we have Pomona Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff house and the Herbology professor."

The friendly woman gave Harry and Alessia a warm and welcoming smile.

"Next to Pomona is Poppy Pomfrey. She is the matron of the Hospital Wing. After this meeting, you both will need to give her your medical records so she'll be able to treat you better should you get sick or injured, especially if either of you have allergies to any healing potions."

Harry and Alessia nodded to Albus in acknowledgement and sent smiles to the medi-witch.

_'Oh I hope to Merlin she doesn't try to lock me in the Hospital Wing once she reads about my suicidal tendencies...'_

_**'As long as you don't have anymore attempts, you should be able to steer clear of her clutches, Master.'**_

The introductions continued as Albus named the rest of the staff, including Irma Pince (the librarian), Rolanda Hooch (the flying instructor and Quiddich referee), Rubeus Hagrid (the groundskeeper), and Argus Filch (the caretaker). Even the ghost History professor, Cuthbert Binns, was in attendance. This time's Astronomy professor was an older, tough looking woman named Bianca Bulstrode, while the Muggle Studies professor was a young, shy looking man named Nicolas Eden.

"Alright, now that the introductions have been taken care of," Albus began, "we can start in on Hogwarts business. First, I'd like for the four Heads of Houses to name their chosen Prefects for the coming year."

Harry listened as first Minerva, then Horace, Filius, and lastly Pomona named their chosen fifth year Prefects (And _man,_ it was weird to refer to them by their first names). After that they also named their sixth and seventh year Prefects for Alessia and Harry's benefit. Then Albus spoke up and named the Head Students. The Head Girl was someone Harry had never heard of from Ravenclaw, but the Head Boy came as a surprise for Harry.

"— and this year's Head Boy is Regulus Black from Slytherin House." Albus stated, before passing each staff member a piece of parchment to keep as a reminder with the names of that years Prefects and Head Students on it. 

Harry had frozen in mild shock, barely stopping himself from outwardly reacting to the news that Regulus Black was still attending Hogwarts.

_**'I don't know why you are so stunned, Master. The Marauders only just graduated a month ago. You knew that Regulus was only a year younger than them.'**_

Harry shook himself out of his shock and answered, _'I did know that, I just... didn't really put two and two together. Is there anyone else still at Hogwarts that I should know about?'_

_**'Well, Barty Crouch Jr. is going to be starting his sixth year and Gilderoy Lockhart is going to be starting his fourth year.'**_

Harry bit back a groan, _'Please tell me Lockhart isn't taking Divination...'_

_**'I could tell you that... but I'd be lying if I did, Master."**_

Harry had to use all of his self-restraint to not bang his head on the table in front of him in despair. _'Merlin save me...'_

 _ **'You are**_ **s** **o** _ **dramatic...'**_ Death teased. 

Harry mentally gave Death the finger. Then had to restrain from pouting when it laughed at him. Again. 

**_'It's not_ my _fault that you are such good entertainment, Master.'_**

Harry released a slow, controlled breath through his nose. He would not react outwardly... He would _not_ give Death that satisfaction...

The next thirty minutes or so past by uneventfully. During this time Albus listened to various staff members telling him of supplies they'll need for the upcoming school year: cauldrons, parchment, ink wells, dummies and/or animals to practice spells on, things of that nature. Harry joined in to request crystal balls, tarot cards, and various other things that he knew he'd need for his classes. He saw Minerva roll her eyes at him and felt irritation bubbling up. 

_'That's going to get old_ real _fast...'_

_**'Maybe you should confront her about her not-so-suble disrespect?'**_

 _'Maybe I should. But not_ now... _l_ _ater.'_

The meeting soon progressed onto other, more serious matters. Harry listened intently as the staff discussed the growing threat that was Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Many staff members wanted to do something to strengthen the wards and the general security of Hogwarts, wanting their students to be as safe as possible. Others voiced concerns that some of their students might have already joined the Dark Lord themselves, as certain groups had made it obvious that they wished to eventually do so, which could undermine any security measures taken. Albus was nodding along to these concerns with a frown on his face.

"I will work towards strengthening the wards in time for the students' return on September 1st," Albus decided, "I doubt Voldemort —", everyone except Harry flinched, "— will have marked anyone under the age of seventeen, but regardless, unless someone proves to be an active threat to another person in this school, they are to be left alone. I don't want to bring the war into these walls unless there is no other choice." Albus eyed everybody sternly until they had all nodded their reluctant assent. "Alright then, now that that's been sorted out, I believe we have two recent graduates who are returning to Hogwarts as apprentices?"

Harry's eyes widened and he leaned forward in interest, this was the first time he'd heard of students coming back as apprentices. He knew from Hermione that most people who wanted to achieve subject Masteries had to either go through private tutors provided by the Ministry, or achieve them through self-study, if they couldn't afford the tutors. 

Filius and Pomona nodded happily, "Ah yes, Albus! Lily Evans is returning to work towards a Double Mastery in Charms and Spell Creation!" Filius said excitedly.

"And Alice Longbottom is pursuing a Herbology Mastery, alongside her Auror training at the Ministry." Pomona told them. 

Albus smiled, a twinkle bright in his eyes, "That's great news, Filius, Pomona. And Filius, you should know that soon Lily Evans will be Lily Potter. Her and James are set to marry on August 25th."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Filius squeaked, clapping his hands.

As the staff started to gossip about their students and past-students, Harry mulled over the thought of his original parents getting married. 

_'It's weird to think about... The fact that Lily and James aren't even married yet. And it'll be another two years until Lily gets pregnant with — well, me. That is, if I don't change things enough to somehow stop that from happening.'_

_**'I don't see how you could prevent them from having sex, Master. I'd say there is a pretty good chance that Lily will still fall pregnant as long as both her and James are alive.'**_

_'Please don't talk about my parents having sex, Death. Just because I know they had to of done it to have had me doesn't mean I want to hear about it.'_

_**'They technically aren't your parents anymore, Master.'**_

_'I don't really care about the technicalities of it. Once upon a time they_ were _my mum and dad and that's enough for the thought of them having sex to gross me out.'_

Harry was brought back to reality by someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw Albus watching him. 

"You've been quiet for awhile, Harrison." Albus noticed.

Harry shifted in his seat and shrugged, "Uh, yeah. Sorry, I just — don't know what I could add to any of the conversations. Since I've never taught anyone before." A slight lie, given he _had_ taught the DA back in his fifth year.

Albus nodded towards Alessia, who was deep in conversation with Nicolas, "Alessia's never taught anyone either, yet she's having no problems joining a conversation." He pointed out.

"Well, I've always been a bit of an introvert." Harry admitted, "Being around so many people who I barely know is a little... _overwhelming_ for me." It was true too. He could practically _feel_ the anxiety slowly dripping down his spine and spreading throughout his body. Talking to Death helped him to keep his nerves in check, but he knew that he shouldn't grow too dependent on Death's presence, especially since the being had admitted just the day before that it wouldn't be with him all the time.

"I can only imagine," Albus said, "since you had to have been rather isolated in your youth in order for your branch of your family to successfully hide away for so long."

_'Ah, so that's why he made sure I had to sit next to him. He wants to learn more about me and my past.'_

"Yes... My childhood was very... Lonely." Harry said sadly. "But, hopefully, I won't be as alone anymore. Now that I finally have a proper opportunity to make friends."

 _'That outta steer him away from the topic of_ _my past_ _for now, without making my intentions obvious.'_

_**'Keeping things in the present, huh Master?'**_

_'Yes. I don't want to talk about what happened, and I don't want to make up a whole new backstory that I could end up contradicting later on.'_

Albus nodded his head thoughtfully, "This is just an old man's advice, but if I were you, I'd be _very_ careful about who I made friends with. Tragically, it's hard to know who to trust these days. I wouldn't want you to become friends with someone who might do you harm, Harrison."

Harry blinked, "I will definitely take your advice, Albus. I know these are dark times... We are all filled with so much uncertainty, it almost makes me regret coming back."

_**'Master...'**_

_'I'm fine, Death.'_

Albus sighed, "Indeed, my boy, indeed..."

The two of them were silent for a moment, before Albus stood up and clapped his hands together, immediately drawing an end to all conversation in the room. "I do believe we've spoken about everything of importance for now, so before I let you all go, I think we should have our newest Divination Professor get sorted by the sorting hat; since he didn't attend Hogwarts himself." 

Harry's head snapped up, startled, "Wait, what?"

Albus smiled at him, "It's a bit of a tradition to sort new staff members if they've never attended Hogwarts before. Of course, it's been awhile since someone who hadn't attended joined the staff. If you don't feel comfortable being sorted then I'm not going to force you, but I am quite curious as to what house you'd have belonged in."

Harry pondered the idea for a moment before shrugging, "Alright, I'm a bit curious myself, let's do it."

_'I wonder if the hat will still insist that I belong in Slytherin... I mean, now that Voldemort's soul piece is gone from my head...'_

_**'In my opinion, Master, I think you are a combination of Gryffindor and Slytherin — maybe a bit of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw too... Although Ravenclaw might be a bit of a stretch.'**_

_'Gee, thanks.'_

Harry watched Albus reach under the table and pull out the sorting hat, and couldn't resist a snort as the hat somehow managed to glare at the Headmaster, even without a proper face.

"Really Albus, you didn't have to hide me on the floor. There is a perfectly good bookcase behind you that you could've sat me on top of." The Hat said indignantly.

"I apologize, old friend, next time I shall endeavor to do so. Now, would you mind sorting one of our newest staff members?" Albus said kindly.

"Not at all, Albus. Put me on him."

Albus raised an eyebrow at Harry, and when he nodded his consent, placed the sorting hat on his head. Now that he was an adult, the hat no longer covered his eyes, so he saw everyone in the staff room staring at him. To keep himself from feeling too awkward or uncomfortable, Harry closed his eyes.

 _ "Oh _ _my... It seems I've already sorted you Mr. Peverell... Or should it be Mr. Potter?"_

Before Harry could properly panic, Death spoke, _**'Don't worry, Master. The Hat can't tell anyone the secrets of those it sorts. And it's Peverell now, Hat.'**_

_ "Death is correct, Mr. Peverell. I will keep your secrets safe. Now, let's get on to sorting you. I can see that I had originally placed you into Gryffindor after seriously considering Slytherin... But I'm going to disregard that and look over your mind like I would any first year before making a decision." _

Harry sat in silence while the hat explored the depths of his mind.

_"Hmm... I see plenty of bravery and courage, and an almost equal amount of ambition... You've still got that nice thirst to prove yourself as well, plus a great amount of loyalty to your loved ones. However, you aren't afraid of becoming an outsider, not anymore at least, so long as those you care about stay safe. You care less about fitting in and more about achieving your goals, which is both ambitious and noble, considering what those goals are... I can see though, that you are now willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals, even if what you chose to do isn't legal. You're no longer against playing dirty, if it means you'll win the game. You've seen too much — been through too much — to let things like fairness get in your way._

 _I think it's clear, now more than ever, that you belong in — _SLYTHERIN!"

Harry blinked his eyes open, not as surprised about that outcome as he thought he'd be, before taking in the expressions of those around him. 

Some of the staff, including Hagrid, were now eyeing him with distrust, while others, like the four Heads of House and the Headmaster, were smiling at him. Although, Albus's gaze _did_ hold a bit of wariness.

Albus reached over and took the hat off his head before putting a hand on his shoulder, "Well, now that you've been sorted, I'd like to officially welcome you to the Hogwarts family, my boy."

Harry couldn't contain a blush as the staff started clapping for him, "Thank you..." He said softly, with a little smile on his face that he just couldn't hold back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> I wrote it over a period of months, so I hope it still turned out alright.
> 
> Please leave a comment telling me what you think! And remember, I DO read and consider what you say, even if I don't reply to you. 
> 
> For example, one of you asked if Regulus was still at Hogwarts or if he had already graduated. I hadn't thought about that until I read your comment, and it's a good thing I did, cause after a little research I learned that Regulus didn't graduate until 1979. I had to change a few things in my story planning because of this fact, but I'm very satisfied with how it's turning out now. So thank you very much for that!
> 
> Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter!
> 
> (Also, as of the day I'm posting this chapter (July 31st, 2020), it is Harry Potter's birthday! 🎉🎉🎉)


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